The difficulties encountered by Chet Holmgren during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s last two consecutive defeats against the San Antonio Spurs find a precise explanation. His trainer Mark Daigneault revealed that his interior was diminished physically, to the point of directly impacting his performance.
A confrontation largely dominated by Wembanyama
In these two matches against San Antonio, Holmgren was in great difficulty, clearly dominated by Victor Wembanyama in the paint. On average, the Thunder pivot only compiled 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists, with skill limited to 42.1% shooting.
Insufficient figures to weigh in the series, while Wembanyama had a great impact on both sides of the field.
A disease that explains the slump
In a post-match press conference, Mark Daigneault shed important light on his player’s condition. According to the technician, Chet Holmgren had to deal with a recent illness, which partly explains his lack of aggressiveness.
« He’s a total competitor, he’s always ready to play “, explained Daigneault. “ He played the entire playoff campaign, not 100% physically due to his injury last season, but above all this course showed us the type of winner he is. The other night he was really sick and gritted his teeth to play.
I don’t know how he’s feeling today, but the last person I’m worried about is Chet. »
A complicated physical context
These revelations come during a delicate period for Holmgren. The young center also missed the 119-103 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies earlier in the week with a back injury.
The Thunder are now hoping to find a more aggressive Chet Holmgren closer to his best, as the team looks to bounce back in their next matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. For Oklahoma City, the return to form of its pivot will be decisive in order to better respond to the physical challenges posed by teams like San Antonio.
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